" HOOLIGANISM."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.")
SIR,—The statistics suggested by Dean Gregory would, if they could be obtained, be of great interest, although it is quite possible that, if I read aright between the lines of his letter, they might not turn out quite as he imagines. I doubt, however, whether in any case they would get us nearer a solu- tion of the difficulty. That is more likely to be reached by a suggestion at the end of your article in the Spectator of November 3rd, where you allude to teaching a handicraft as one way of diverting the " Hooligan" energy into a safe channel. I believe that the main source of the mischief is due to the fact that London contains a surplusage of un- skilled labour, for which only casual employment can be found. Under present conditions it is impossible for most of these youths to learn a trade, because the rules of the Trade-Unions prevent it. As a result, there is in some trades more work than there are workmen to do it, while these boys are left to waste their energy in mischief, and to lapse gradually, it is to be feared, into habitual criminals. The remedy seems to be in a great extension of -classes both in day-schools and in continuation schools for teaching the use of tools and the elements of various trades. It is work well worthy of the new London municipalities, and it is a recom- mendation that such classes could be worked at very small
expense.—I am, Sir, &c., JAMES WENT.
The TVyggeston School, Leicester.
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